It hasn't been long, and they are already creating new ways to use their short code. In this promotion, they are allowing customers to sign up for a free reminder to come in for a free cup of coffee via their short code.

It's well done.

It provides value: reminder for a free cup of coffee. They also use both email and their web site to promote the idea.

One of the issues with consumers and opting in to receive promotions is trust. Another is privacy. The question for consumers is ... who can I trust? Large brands such as Coca Cola, Starbucks, BMW, etc. should be able to pull this off. Investing in branding a short code will pay off in the long term as they reuse with different key words.

Generic short codes or ones that belong to a third party providing infrastructure to smaller entities also have their place. For smaller companies or events of short duration or those companies looking to launch a campaign fairly quickly, third parties can be a great avenue to do so.